COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEDIATION IN THE PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA

This study investigated the mediations of 125 community mediators in the People's Republic of China. The mediators' reports on two mediations each-one in a community (inter-family and one in a family (intra-family) dispute--indicated the frequency with which they used 33 mediation techniques. In family (versus community) mediations, Chinese mediators were found to rely more heavily upon the techniques of separating the parties, getting assistance from third parties, calling for empathy, stating the other side's point of view, and utilizing logic. As for the strategies (combinations of techniques) employed, we found three distinct ones-separate, analyze together, criticize-in the family mediations. Two sets-reason together and criticize-were detected in the community mediations.